By Doreen Mokgolo
- EFF says police and private security were deployed to intimidate peaceful protesters confronting racial segregation in Kleinfontein.
- The High Court declared the whites-only settlement illegal, but the EFF says authorities are protecting it with force.
The Economic Freedom Fighters in Gauteng have criticised what they call a heavy-handed police presence during their protest at the Kleinfontein settlement.
EFF members marched to the whites-only community near Tshwane, which the Gauteng High Court declared illegal in August 2024 for breaking zoning rules and municipal by-laws.
The court ordered the City of Tshwane to act, saying Kleinfontein had failed to follow the legal steps for building and township development.
EFF Gauteng leader Nkululeko Dunga said the protest was meant to challenge ongoing racial separation and economic exclusion.
He said: “The unnecessary show of force by the government is unwarranted, especially considering our proven track record of organising highly disciplined and peaceful public demonstrations.”
According to Dunga, the police sent more than 50 vehicles, including nyalas, water cannons, razor wire and heavily armed units.
He claimed the state’s response was not about keeping the peace but about protecting the feelings of white people who reject black protest.
“The idea that there are fearless and unapologetic black people who dare to confront racism unsettled the establishment,” he said. “This results in state intimidation, harassment, and a calculated attempt to suppress legitimate protest.”
During the march, EFF members chanted that Kleinfontein must fall along with the racist thinking it represents.
Dunga added that while the government was focused on shutting down a peaceful protest, violent crime continued to affect other communities in Tshwane.
“Communities in Soshanguve, Mamelodi, Atteridgeville, and other townships live in a permanent state of fear as criminals roam freely,” he said.
Pictured above: EFF members pictured above during the Kleinfontein protest.
Image source: EFF Gauteng
